So Starbucks is Banning Guns Sorta

[ronpaul50]

An Open Letter from Howard Schultz, ceo of Starbucks Coffee Company

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Posted by Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer

Dear Fellow Americans,

Few topics in America generate a more polarized and emotional debate than guns. In recent months, Starbucks stores and our partners (employees) who work in our stores have been thrust unwillingly into the middle of this debate. That’s why I am writing today with a respectful request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas.

From the beginning, our vision at Starbucks has been to create a “third place” between home and work where people can come together to enjoy the peace and pleasure of coffee and community. Our values have always centered on building community rather than dividing people, and our stores exist to give every customer a safe and comfortable respite from the concerns of daily life.

We appreciate that there is a highly sensitive balance of rights and responsibilities surrounding America’s gun laws, and we recognize the deep passion for and against the “open carry” laws adopted by many states. (In the United States, “open carry” is the term used for openly carrying a firearm in public.) For years we have listened carefully to input from our customers, partners, community leaders and voices on both sides of this complicated, highly charged issue.

Our company’s longstanding approach to “open carry” has been to follow local laws: we permit it in states where allowed and we prohibit it in states where these laws don’t exist. We have chosen this approach because we believe our store partners should not be put in the uncomfortable position of requiring customers to disarm or leave our stores. We believe that gun policy should be addressed by government and law enforcement—not by Starbucks and our store partners.

Recently, however, we’ve seen the “open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called “Starbucks Appreciation Days” that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.

For these reasons, today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas—even in states where “open carry” is permitted—unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.

I would like to clarify two points. First, this is a request and not an outright ban. Why? Because we want to give responsible gun owners the chance to respect our request—and also because enforcing a ban would potentially require our partners to confront armed customers, and that is not a role I am comfortable asking Starbucks partners to take on. Second, we know we cannot satisfy everyone. For those who oppose “open carry,” we believe the legislative and policy-making process is the proper arena for this debate, not our stores. For those who champion “open carry,” please respect that Starbucks stores are places where everyone should feel relaxed and comfortable. The presence of a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting for many of our customers.

I am proud of our country and our heritage of civil discourse and debate. It is in this spirit that we make today’s request. Whatever your view, I encourage you to be responsible and respectful of each other as citizens and neighbors.

Sincerely,

Howard Schultz

































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[milkmanjoe]

Looks like a nice request to stop the "in your face" stuff. Was wondering when Starbucks would tire of being made the poster boy for retail stores "allowing" open carry. Very diplomatic, middle of the road letter.

[Xbonz]

Originally Posted by milkmanjoe

Looks like a nice request to stop the "in your face" stuff. Was wondering when Starbucks would tire of being made the poster boy for retail stores "allowing" open carry. Very diplomatic, middle of the road letter.

Exactly. Once again the 'over the top' crowd has found a way to F things up for the rest. Perhaps the anti gunners were behind this from the start??

[milkmanjoe]

Originally Posted by Xbonz

Exactly. Once again the 'over the top' crowd has found a way to F things up for the rest. Perhaps the anti gunners were behind this from the start??

Yup, even Starbucks "Logos" with guns in them all over the internet. It is better to lay low and take your liberties rather than flaunt them. Flaunting pisses people off, they get to the CEO eventually, and this letter was written. I have heard this is a real good PR ad for Starbucks, and nothing more. They aren't going to try to enforce it, it is a request. Now if the "in your face" gun people lay low it will go back to how it was.

[skosh69]

Well, when Peet's Coffee banned open carry in their coffee shops, when it was still legal here, I stopped buying coffee from them.

Now it looks like I'll have to stop going to Starbucks as well. It's not like I go there a lot, I grind and brew my own 99% of the time....

[Riverpigusmc]

What's a "Starbucks"?